One Last Time
by imaginepearls
Summary: When Juvia agrees to go on a date with Lyon, Gray finally realizes he must act on his true feelings for her and prove to her that he's worth it. Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or the song One Last Time
1. Chapter 1

It was a normal day in the guild until it wasn't.

The sun was shining outside despite the slight chill of fall and a calm wind was sweeping through the streets. It was the same town of Magnolia that everyone was accustomed to. People were bustling around trying to run errands and the stores kept busy enough, but that energy was nothing compared to the inside of the guild.

"Who's next?" Cana declared as she slammed down the last of her drink to beat her foolish competitor who had the nerves to challenge her. It was hard to tell if people were cheering or groaning at how early it was in the morning to already start this.

Erza was blissfully enjoying the last bits of her strawberry cake, not a slice, but the whole cake. Everyone knew better than to disturb her when she was in such a state. They also knew it was only a matter of time before someone starts a brawl that ends with her bringing out her swords so this was always a nice change.

Gajeel watched over Levy as she was devouring the latest book she's been able to get her hands on. His hand twitched ever so slightly when Jet and Droy came up to her side and fished for her attention.

Happy was offering his fish to Carla and wailed when she turned her nose upward in a disapproving manner. His partner was at the mercy of Lucy's murderous glares for using their reward money, yet again, for repairs on their last mission. Natsu tried to appeal to her better side with another mission and was met with a swift kick to his face.

Juvia was trying to get me to accept a shirt she made for me last night. This time, a picture of her in a provocative pose was stitched on the front. Her eyes practically turned into hearts as she imagined me accepting it with a passionate love confession.

Aside from my adamant refusal (I most definitely was _not_ blushing), everything was going fine- just like every other day.

Flame brains was throwing a tantrum about getting hit in the head and blamed me for it. We were going on with our usual brawl, you know, clothes flying and tables thrown, when another annoyance came in.

Lyon burst into the guild with his usual pompous flair and went gaga for Juvia, who was cheering me on and challenging Lucy, calling her love rival. He swept his arms out dramatically to make a clear pathway to Juvia and knelt down on one knee at her feet with a rose in his hand. Everyone in the guild rolled their eyes and paid no attention to him, being as used to this scene as they were to Juvia cuddling me. At first, it was an amusing sight, but after so many attempts, no one bothered to interrupt their daily lives for such a common scene.

"My dear Juvia-chan, would you give me the honor of accompanying me on a romantic evening tomorrow night?" He poured out his heart at her feet.

"Cut it out, Lyon! Stop hitting on my guild mate!"

"Oh, Gray-sama! Juvia is so happy!"

"You can't stop true love from blooming, Gray! Unless, you'd like to admit to anything." he questioned my motive and I knew Juvia was looking at me with hopeful expectations.

I could feel my heart tighten in my chest. My body copied the strained feeling within me and punched Natsu with all my might. I've put up a strong front since Deliora and I wasn't going to back down now. I couldn't let anyone get close to me. I've gotten good at lying to myself, that I didn't care about her. The pressure I've put on myself and the front I've put on for others was built so thick, I didn't know how to knock it down. So instead of giving him an answer, I remained silent and continued to beat Natsu. I've been ignoring this feeling for so long, why would it be any different today?

Except it was.

I expected Juvia to reject Lyon and proclaim her devotion to me as she had time and time again before. I could imagine her voice telling Lyon that I was the only one for her. I didn't expect for her to stare at me for an answer I knew she's been asking since Lyon first pursued her.

_Should I let you go?_

I should've fought it. I know I should've fought it. I should've grabbed her and held onto her. I should've pushed through the wall. I should have fought with all my might and not given up.

I'm being honest now, but I wasn't then.

With another twang in my chest, I looked away from her and threw another table at Natsu.

Her eyes watered up, I could feel it. I could feel the clouds getting heavier and the air thick with moisture. She squeezed them shut, breathed in a shuddering gulp of air, and gently placed her fingers on the stem of the rose. She gave him a faint smile and said the words none of us ever imagined her saying.

"Juvia would love to go on a date with you"


	2. Chapter 2

It didn't matter that Natsu and I were in the middle of a brawl, or that Erza was about to break us up, or that Lucy was trying to convince Juvia that she had no interest in me, or that Jet and Droy were trying to get between Levy and Gajeel. None of the normal mattered.

Because this was _not_ normal.

Everybody froze with their mouths hanging open, Lyon was no exception. As much as everyone in the guild was freaking out about her accepting Lyon's request, he had no idea that she would give in. All that confidence flew out of him the moment she looked away from me and smiled at him. He stayed there on the floor, still on one knee, staring at her flushed face.

"U-umm, Juvia said she would like to go on a date with you, Lyon-san" She stuttered, no doubtedly not having wanted to repeat those words. Still, her voice rang loud as this was the most quiet this guild had ever been. Her cheeks were flushed red and this was the most shy we have ever seen her.

Lyon snapped out of his shock and abruptly stood up, not wanting to miss this precious chance she had given him.

"O-of course, my lovely Juvia-chan. Shall I pick you up at 5 tomorrow in front of Fairy Hills?"

Her blue hair bobbed as she nodded her head embarrassedly. She held the rose timidly within her clasped hands in front of her stomach.

Lyon nodded with wide eyes as well and awkwardly turned around to face the guild doors. He walked away stiff, the complete opposite of the confidence he walked in with. No one knew whether their eyes should be on Juvia, him, or me. We were right from the beginning, this would be a complicated situation. He looked at me while walking out, still shocked, to confirm what just happened. I could tell that he planned on smirking at me and whisking Juvia away with him as he walked away when she said yes to him, but that kind of control was not possible at the moment.

When he left the guild, everybody stared at me, looking for my reaction. Although none of them knew of my real feelings for Juvia, no one could doubt that she had a large part in my life. As much as they were shocked she accepted Lyon's invitation to a date, they figured I must be the most surprised.

And indeed I was.

I didn't know if I should be angry or embarrassed at the attention. All that I knew was that I didn't like it. It was never about being the center of attention with me. I especially didn't like Erza's stare. She hated the distance between her and Jellal. She wanted him so badly and they couldn't be together with the situation he was in. Juvia was here with me every moment she could and I could have just as easily held onto her. Instead, I let her slip through my fingers and took her for granted. How selfish I must look to Erza.

Since I didn't know how to react, I couldn't do anything but clench my fists and look down at the floor. I was too ashamed to look at anyone, especially Juvia. Even though she was all I wanted to see right now, I didn't dare look up at her. I know I failed her in every area she expected of me. I felt like an utter failure before her and her stupid rose. Her stupid, _stupid_ rose.

I should've been the one to give her a flower and treat her the way she deserved. Instead of lying to myself and trying to convince everyone that I didn't feel the way I felt for her, I should've treated her better.

Because after all I've done, she doesn't want a liar. Who would?

What reason would she have to not go for Lyon?


	3. Chapter 3

I couldn't help it, I had to know what was going on during the date.

I hid behind the large hedge with pink flowers that was surrounding Fairy Hills. I suppose it was to keep out men trying to sneak into the girls' dorms, but everyone knew there was no real defense against Natsu. In this case, it proved useful to me. I sat there starting at 4:30 to make sure I wouldn't miss anything. I'm sure it seemed very weird to those who happened to catch a glimpse of me, but people of Magnolia had come to be desensitized due to Juvia's older habits.

Lyon was very punctual, arriving right at 5:00 to pick her up. He even brought more flowers, a whole bouquet of them this time. When Juvia opened the door to meet him, Lyon acted in the very way I wanted to. She shed the usual fur coat and hat for a dark blue pea coat and pearl dotted headband. A white dress peeked out from under the hem of her coat and fur lined boots covered her petite feet. Lyon blushed and offered the arrangement of flowers to her. Once she accepted them and found a place for them in her home, I assume, she locked the door to her apartment and politely took his arm to hold while walking.

I could feel myself growling, knowing exactly what it feels like to have her press up against your body. I quickly shook my head to remind myself that I am no longer in the position to do that to her.

When they walked out the gate and past the hedge I was residing in to walk towards the restaurant, I had to shuffle a bit so they wouldn't see me. I had to stealthily find ways to hide behind things and people so they wouldn't know I was following them. I was able to hear bits and pieces of their conversation as I followed.

"You look beautiful tonight, Juvia-chan"

"Thank you" She smiled, I'm sure his compliments were a nice change to what she's been getting from me, "Juvia has been saving this outfit for a date. Cana kindly helped me pick it out. She said it would catch Gra-" She abruptly cut off her sentence and tightened her grip on his arm.

"It certainly does capture the attention of any man with a working pair of eyes" He smoothly passes over her slip up, understanding her struggle.

She nods in agreement and visible relief in not offending Lyon. "May I ask where we're going?"

"I have reserved only the best place in town for you, Juvia-chan"

"Lyon-san, please don't feel the need to call me Juvia-chan"

"Does this mean I may call you on a first name basis?" His eyes sparkled in the same way hers did whenever she got the wrong impression from my words.

"Yes." Her curt reply shocked me once again. It shook Lyon out of his daydream as well, but he recovered much faster than I did. He smiled gently down at her, appreciating her efforts to make this date go well.

When they arrived at the restaurant, I had to gulp back the fear of not being able to pay my rent for the month. If I were to follow them into the restaurant and see how their date was going, I would have to pay a lot of money to hold a seat for just one. I couldn't imagine the kind of money Lyon had to be able to pay for two. He did have a seven year head start on me, for one.

I shook off the thoughts about all the jewels being lost and was seated at a good distance where I could watch how their date was progressing while still being able to hide myself without drawing suspicion. I saw how he pulled out her seat and draped her coat over the seat for her. I saw how he paid careful attention to the kinds of food she liked and how she liked it. He asked her questions and never pried, he tried to affectionately grab her hand and pulled back when she was uncomfortable. He did everything and gave her everything.

I could tell it meant the world to her because she never got anything like that from me.

I learned that her favorite flowers were sunflowers, the headband was a gift from her uncle, she considered Gajeel her best friend, and that she's never been at a sleepover before.

I knew I was losing by this point. He was giving her everything that I never did, everything that she rightfully deserved. I couldn't give it to her because I was so stubborn and frugal with my feelings. I could feel her slipping into content with him during this date. It was going a lot better than she thought it would.

It was going a lot like I feared it would.

I figured by then, there was no point in following them anymore. Lyon wasn't going to risk messing up this chance with her and Juvia was an all-in kind of girl. She wouldn't cheat Lyon of the date she promised him. I dejectedly paid for the little bit of food I could afford and left the restaurant in silence.

I walked back home in the bitter cold, a feeling I thought I trained out of a long time ago. My hands were grudgingly in my pockets and I wished I had worn her scarf for me.

Everything I wanted to say to her left a bitter taste on my tongue as I tried to go to sleep and forget all the things unsaid.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, it was rough for me to face the day. I knew there would be endless teasing from people at the guild and that Juvia would be surrounded by the girls asking questions about the date I already knew about. She would be able to tell them about how much of a gentleman Lyon was, as much as I hate to admit it.

I got out of bed anyway and quickly got ready to make my way to the guild. As soon as I arrived, my suspicions came true. Everyone looked my way and gave me looks of pity, either thinking I would miss Juvia just for the attention she gives me or because they knew the juicy details of their wonderful date. Erza, being the only one who could tell my true feelings despite my tough exterior, sympathized with me, knowing exactly what it's like to be away from the person you love. However, some bitterness still remained. I let this happen voluntarily.

Juvia was sitting at the bar being grilled by Mira, Lucy, Levy, Cana, and Wendy. Bisca was still listening in while playing with Asuka, who squealed with wonder and excitement when she thought about having a gentlemanly boyfriend of her own. Juvia was answering all of their questions promptly.

Yes, Lyon looked handsome.

Yes, he took them to the new restaurant downtown.

Yes, she had a good time.

Yes, he kissed her goodnight.

I thought I was prepared for the day since I was secretly there for their date yesterday, but I went home too early to know about the last part. Juvia noticed too late that I was there to hear that part as well and pursed her lips tight, wishing she hadn't indulged the girls about their date at all. This gave me a little hope that she still saw something in me and that she hadn't given up on me entirely.

When Erza realized I was staring, she got up from her seat and walked up to me to put her hand on my tense shoulder.

"You know, she isn't completely gone yet."

"Huh?" My heart skipped a beat. It was like she was confirming exactly what I saw.

"She is so in love with you, there's no way she'll ever commpletely get over you, especially not in one day. You introduced her to a new world with a family to call her own. No matter what Lyon does, there's no way she could ever forget what you've done for her. We all know that as much of a good time she had with Lyon yesterday, she was wishing it was you.

"So do something about it. Stand up and fight for what you want. Because even though she'll never completely let go of you, she won't let go of her self worth either. And so far, Lyon's doing a great job in treating her in the way she deserves. You need to prove to her that she'll be your everything"

I could feel myself nodding to confirm that I heard everything she said. She nodded back and turned around to walk back to her seat and leave the choice up to me.

I realized, although I opened myself up to the guild and made lifelong friends, I knew that I would always be missing something without Juvia. At first, she was a nuisance and it was impossible to ignore her. The stalking and the body pillows were too much for me to handle. Once our friendship grew and we came to some kind of an understanding after the games, I wanted to protect her on a larger level than just as nakama. As I got to know her more on a personal level and not for jumping me every chance she got, I fell for her more and more, although I've tried to ignore it and push it down. She became my friend and my confidante.

If she were to get into something serious with Lyon, she would have her friends, her lover, her partner, everything she needs for her life to be complete.

Without her, I would have nothing. I would go back to the same state I was after Ur and before Fairy Tail. Except this time, I don't think I will have anything to fall back on. What more can I ask for than Fairy Tail?

I thought I could face this day, but I clearly can't. So I walk up to the bar, ignore the girls' stares, and ask Mira for a drink. Something strong. Something that can fill this void.

"Gray-sama…" I heard her voice trail off next to me.

I turned my head to the left to address her voice and her cheeks flushed much brighter than when she was talking about Lyon.

I could tell the words were stuck in her throat because I felt the same way. No words could express the despair I feel at possibly missing my chance with her. The window of opportunity was open so wide and for so long, how could I have given it up so easily?

When she said nothing, I took the drink in my hand and walked away to a table on my own. I had no strength to banter with Natsu or to strip from this unbearable heat.

But then I came to realize that Erza's right and that I'm an idiot. Just like Erza said, she'd been so determined on me, there was no way she was over me just like that. She cared about me just as much, very likely more, as I did for her. So I downed my drink, walked over to her, lost my shirt in the process, grabbed her hand, and dragged her outside with me.

"Gray-sama?" her voice was flustered and a hint of fangirling was still present.

I was still walking with my focus straight ahead when I said this.

"I know you have everything right now, but there is nothing I need to do more than to talk to you"


	5. Chapter 5

She was quiet the whole way we walked and she didn't protest me dragging her along. She didn't swoon at the fact that I was holding her hand either. This made me worry since I grabbed her thinking I still had a chance with her and she was showing the signs of wanting to be with me after giving Lyon a chance. Now that she wasn't acting the way I thought she would, I could feel myself becoming desperate for her affection.

I knew I didn't deserve her feelings and I knew I definitely didn't deserve asking her for it, not after she gave it to me so openly for years and I pushed her away with my selfishness and ignorance. It wouldn't be fair of me to ask her to give it to me so openly now. It would seem like I wanted her only for her attention and I couldn't take advantage of her like that. Not only would it be unfair to her to ask for such a thing, I really didn't deserve her being kind to me at all.

The time it took to get to my house was excruciatingly long. Every step we took was powered by pure adrenaline and the liquid courage I took before I dragged her out of the guild. My mind was racing to find the words to make her stay. Every thought overlapped another and it was hard to focus on not letting go of Juvia's hand and running away, never mind finding the words to say once we got to my house.

Do I highlight my good points and make Lyon the bad guy?

Do I talk about only her?

Would she think I'm worth it anymore?

Trying to sort through all my thoughts and find the right ones to use, we wove through people on the streets and plowed through the thick atmosphere of confusion and discomfort. It was not something we were used to at all.

We finally stopped in front of my house, wanting so desperately for this to be where she ended up last night. Perhaps to find comfort in me, to find out that their date went terribly wrong, for me to be the one to take her out. We were there to fool me and give me that foolish confidence that everything was ok and that it would turn out in my favor.

There I was, being selfish again. Despite all the selflessness she's shown me.

I could see her cracking, getting excited about being at my place. She was mentally taking pictures of it, memorizing every inch of my door and my house to make exact replicas for her room and her plush dolls of me. And then she realized the events that occurred yesterday and stopped herself. She realized that she couldn't make the plushies anymore and she can't have them around her room. She distanced herself from me emotionally and physically, being the first one to let go and step away from me.

"Just listen to me, please. I swear I'll make it worth your time" I pleaded as I reached towards her.

My hand grabbed the empty air as she didn't reach forward to mirror my action. Instead, she nodded and peered at me curiously, waiting to see if what I have to say was indeed worth her time.

Again, this kind of a reaction wasn't what I was expecting. A part of me expected her to jump into my arms and take me back right away. The bigger part of me knew that's terribly unfair to her and that she deserved more than just a simple plead.

I gulped and cleared my dry throat, feeling the pressure to amount up to what I just promised her. After all, she deserved to receive what she's been pouring into me all these years. I felt like what I had wasn't enough and that what I had to offer through mere words wasn't what I need to express to make her stay.

What happened in the past couple days is what I deserved, to have the better person take her and sweep her off her feet. To have the sense knocked into me after all these years of fruitless pining on her side. To be left alone after I've left her in the dark for so long.

Despite what everyone told me about bringing the sun into her life, I knew I'd let her down too many times to believe that so readily.

I needed to find the right words to make her stay. Just for a little while.


	6. Chapter 6

I racked my brain for anything good to say. The thoughts that ran through my head on our way to the house had not settled at all. Do I ask her for forgiveness? What do I admit to? There's so much I needed to amend. I knew that this was entirely my fault and that there were so many other things I could have done. If only she could forgive me for just that one moment to hear me out with the same awe she held before.

She was so patient with me, standing there in front of me like she understood the dilemma I was facing and the inner conflict I was going through. She didn't pry or demand any information, she waited for me to collect my thoughts and gave me another chance.

"I don't want you to be with Lyon" I blurted out and immediately beat myself mentally. So stupid, so so stupid.

Her eyebrows knit together in confusion and a bit of amusement.

"I know I don't have the right to tell you who to see and who you can be with, but I don't want you to be with Lyon."

"Gray-sama is right." I can feel my mouth twitch into a smile.

"Oh, I'm so relieve-"

"Gray-sama doesn't have the right to tell Juvia who she can see and be with"

"Juvia, I didn't mea-"

"Juvia tried very hard to win Gray-sama over. Juvia thought that if she could get Gray-sama to give her a chance, she could convince him to love her like she did." She fidgeted and rubbed her hands together nervously as the clouds rumbled over our heads. "But it's been years and Juvia has grown tired. Juvia never thought that the one who brought her the sun could make it go away so often, she never thought she would get tired to just be in Gray-sama's presence. Juvia thinks that maybe, even though Gray-sama is the one who first showed her the sun, and Juvia is grateful for that, it's meant for Juvia to enjoy it with someone else. Juvia is sorry for burdening you, Gray-sama" She bowed much too politely than our what relationship demanded and started to walk away when I leapt for her and grabbed her hand desperately once more.

"Please, Juvia did her best to give Lyon-san a chance and she found someone to be happy with." She grit her teeth, afraid to let it rain.

"Juvia, I know I messed up, ok? I know that this is my fault and I'm really sorry I hurt you. Just-just, please, stay for a bit and listen to what I have to say."

She bit her lip and contemplated whether she should stay. After an agonizingly long time, she hesitantly gave a single nod and stood there, not meeting my eyes.

"Look, I messed up and I don't deserve to ask for your forgiveness. I'm not telling you to stop seeing Lyon because I expect you to be in love with me. That's messed up, I can't rely on you to be crazy over me. I don't think you're meant to be with Lyon. I don't think you'll be as happy with him as… I'm asking you to not be with Lyon because… What I'm trying to say is…." I ran my hand through my hair, trying to grab the words before they ran away from fear again.

"What I'm saying is, I should have been more careful with you and treated you better. Because…" I sigh, knowing i stopped at the most important part again. When I looked up from my shoes, I saw that her eyes are wide and wavering with some intense emotion. Anticipation? Fear? Hope? I gently took both her hands and this time, she was too absorbed in my words to pull away.

"Because I love you, Juvia"

I could hear her heart breaking in two.

And not just because lightning cracked open the sky.


	7. Chapter 7

I froze in front of her after the words left my mouth. After all this time and effort of keeping it inside, it came out like vomit. Involuntarily and disturbingly. I couldn't hear anything over the pounding drumming of my heart. I had nothing in my head, just the resounding thought of _what did you just do what did you just do what did you just do_. I always thought that relief would wash over me the moment I said those words to her, but I chose the worst possible time to do it. You idiot.

In contrast with me, I could tell a million thoughts were running through her head. Her eyes wre moving side to side, trying to search desperately for the missing puzzle piece that would complete this picture for her. Or perhaps, it was finally complete after years of trying, and now I just took it and scrambled it all up again.

"Juvia doesn't understand" she whispers with an uncertainty I had never heard in her voice before. She was always so sure, so absolute in her choices and actions.

"I love you, Juvia" I said once again with my voice slightly breaking at the end. I tightened my grasp around her hands, desperately hoping she won't slip away.

"Juvia tried so hard to make Gray-sama notice her and give her the chance the love him the way she wanted to. Juvia tried even harder to let go of that and move on. Juvia found a little bit of hope in Lyon-san and when she opens herself to that, Gray-sama realizes he loves her?" She whispers a little crazily to herself, her eyes still darting from side to side, trying to figure out what's going on.

"No-no, I didn't only just realize it now, Juvia-"

"Then you don't love Juvia. You love the way Juvia loved you." She clenched her hands into tight little fists and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to escape from the reality I presented to her.

"No!" I yell in anger, anger towards myself, really. "No! I've been loving you! I've been too much of a coward to admit it to anyone, much less you! You've always been so intense and open with your feelings and I've never given my feelings to anyone else. I love you because it's you. Not because of how you feel for me, but because you made me feel. Do you understand?"

"Juvia understands." I wanted to be happy that she understood what I was saying because I had feared for so long that she wouldn't. I shouldn't have doubted her, of course she understood me. But I couldn't shake the feeling that I couldn't be happy just yet. There was another storm coming.

"That's even worse."

I didn't know my heart could fall so deeply into the pit of my stomach.

"Gray-sama had so much time, all the time in the world, to tell Juvia how he felt. Juvia gave you every chance to let him know that it was okay to love back and to be happy. Juvia can't accept your feelings. If Juvia hadn't let go, she's sure she would have been ecstatic to be with you, Gray-sama. But she's worked so hard… Too hard… To fall so foolishly again."

With this confession, the rain drizzles down. We're under the roof of my porch so we aren't getting hit by the water, but we can both feel the tension between us. If it were a physical barrier, I'm sure I would have made an ice lance or had Juvia slice through it with her water cane, but all we could do was sink into it.

Of course, she wanted to trust me, but she couldn't. Not after every time I've disappointed her and let her fall without my assurance.

"Then let me convince you"

"Gray-sama…"

"Come inside with me, please. Stay just for the night. I won't do anything that makes you uncomfortable or sad. I'll do my best to convince you that I'm worth the fight. I know you're worth every effort"

I could feel her resolve breaking, melting at my words. But she tensed up and held fast to her heart.

"This would be unfair to Lyon-san"

I swallowed the dread, not sure how well I could pull off this next part.

"If you still don't want to accept my feelings and be with Lyon instead… I promise after tonight, I'll let you go."

The rain started to rain harder around us, mirroring our stormy emotions. If I didn't convince her over night, if she needed to move on, I would have to let her go with Lyon. Not just Lyon, I'd have to let her be with anyone else but me.

I repeated myself again. Although, I couldn't tell if I was trying to convince her or me.

"Just this one time, let me take you home. After that, I promise, I'll let you go"

Thunder rumbled deep within the ground and vibrated our very inner beings. I felt like throwing up and I was sure she felt like passing out. She took a tentative step towards me, which made my heart break even more. Yes, this meant she was giving me the night. At the same time, the Juvia I knew would haved jumped into my arms, overjoyed by the idea of spending the night with me in my house.

"I promise" I held her close and murmured into her hair, once again trying to convince myself just as much as I was trying to keep her. I then guided her inside and locked the door behind me.

"I promise"


	8. Chapter 8

Once she stepped in my house, she couldn't contain her awe or excitement. Despite what happened in the past few days, the inside of my house was something she had been dreaming of for a long long time. I wouldn't be surprised if she had peeked through my windows to watch me occasionally or hid outside my house, but this was the first time she was invited in voluntarily. She took in every bit of it as if it would be the last time she stepped in this place.

I'm going to make sure it won't be.

She took off her shoes and put them on the shoe rack to her left which is right next to the bathroom door. The space in front of us is split into two sides, the kitchen and table on the left and the living room on the right. The living room has a simple navy blue couch that's placed against the wall with a tv on the opposite wall. The window allows ample amount of light to come in during the day and the light brown curtains are currently pulled back. At the moment, the rain pervaded the room with its visual and sound. It was a gloomy reminder of my confession.

I flicked the light switch on and closed the curtains together a little angrily to block it out. I turned back around to smile at her and led her into the kitchen. I had little food and only a few silverware since I didn't expect a lot of company. Still, I sat her down on one of my four chairs around my wooden table and made her some tea.

"I know this isn't as glamorous as your time with Lyon at that new restaurant, I'm sorry" I really did regret not being able to do more to convince her.

"How does Gray-sama know about where Juvia went on her date with Lyon-san?" She asked while gratefully accepting the warm cup of honey tea. There was no accusatory tone in her voice, just surprise.

"O-oh, I overheard you talking with the other girls at the guild, remember?" I blurt out a little hurriedly with clear panic in my voice. She slowly nods and accepts my half-assed answer. Out of all people, she knows best about following someone.

"Juvia is just happy to know Gray-sama accepted her into his home" She smiled sadly, no doubt thinking about how she came inside with a far different circumstance than she had in mind. She wasn't fawning over the articles around the house or trying to keep any souvenirs for herself. She sat there quietly, not daring to attach herself onto anything. Still, she allowed herself to indulge a little in the striped blue and white wallpaper and the smooth hardwood floors.

I tried to rack my brain to think of what made Juvia open up to Lyon during their date yesterday. What did he do? He pulled out her chair for her, I couldn't do that anymore. He took her coat, I couldn't really do that either… Wait!

I jumped up out of my seat and make it fall over with a clang. I winced as she got startled and stared at me with surprise and question of my sanity, but I disregarded it and ran to my room to grab the blanket off the top of my bed. When I got back to her, she tilted her head to the right and blinked adorably, clearly confused. I didn't say anything, I just tried to show her with my actions, something I hadn't been doing lately.

I wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and make sure she held onto it so it didn't slide off. Maybe I couldn't take her jacket, but it was raining outside and my house was already cold enough to keep me cool, much too cold for anyone else. She blushed and breathed in my scent before realizing that she'd worked so hard, too hard, to move past that.

"Thank you" is all she said, even though I knew she was starting to squeal inside.

"Come on, I'll show you my room" I swear, I could see some hearts starting to float around her head like they used to.

I led her through the hallway past the guest room and pushed open the door for her to walk in ahead of me. Her eyes soaked in every part of my room like it was the holy grail she had been searching for her whole life. Her fingers brushed over my bed post, she crouched down to look at the few books on my bookshelf, she examined every photo on the walls and on my nightstand, I could tell she was itching to pick up the clothes off my floor and take them with her.

She sat down on my bed with the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders. She looked up at me and smiled, genuinely smiled. Not one of sadness or pity like I had become accustomed to since Lyon asked her out yesterday, but a real one that appreciated the way I opened up to her.

I should've done this a long time ago.

It felt so nice to know that me opening up didn't end up in disaster and instead rewarded me with her happiness. I felt like I was getting bits of her back again, gaining back her trust. But then she saw two pictures that were hidden from obvious view.

One was of me and her together, really her holding tight to my right arm and nuzzling her cheek against mine. She had a look of pure bliss on her face while mine looked indifferent and facing the other way. It was shot at the beach when she was trying to tug me into the ocean to swim with her. To me, it was a picture that brought happiness. I went to sleep and woke up to it every day I was in that house. It was a constant reminder of the sunshine she had brought into my life opposed to how she credited me for the cloudless skies. But I could tell that to her, this was a reminder of how much she had given to me with nothing in return.

It didn't help that the second picture was of me and Lyon with Ur. It was when we were little during our apprenticeship with her. We were on each side of her, her arms slender and muscular arms around our shoulders with a big grin that reached her crinkled eyes. I had a slight scowl on my face since she was ruffling my hair and Lyon had the same grin on his face as Ur did. His right hand was raised behind her head in a v shape.

The doubt returned in Juvia's eyes and and she began to get up off my bed when I walked over to her and sat next to her, wrapping my arms around her torso. I let my head fall into the crook of her neck and then I flipped her over to lay down. She let out a soft yelp when her head hit my pillow and I trapped her there with my strong hold. As held her close, I could tell she was desperately trying to figure out a way to get out of this situation. It was dangerous to her resolve.

"Forget about Lyon. Whether you have him or me in your heart, just give me this one night" I murmured in her ear, sending goosebumps down her spine.

I loosened my grip on her to let her relax, but I didn't draw my arms away from her frame. I hadn't slept with another person in the same bed for a long time. In fact, I had never had another person in this particular bed, but I knew this was right and that it was perfect with Juvia.

She nudged my head to make me look up into her eyes. She then lifted her arms free of my hold, cupped my face with her soft fingers, and leaned in slowly.

I held her closer to my body, knowing what was coming and anticipating it eagerly.

"One last time" She murmured before fluttering her eyes shut and kissing me.


	9. Chapter 9

When I woke up the morning, my right arm felt heavy from Juvia's weight throughout the night. For a split second, I thought that maybe I had lost the arm, but after that panic passed, I was glad to have had her sleep there. Despite that reminder, I saw that Juvia wasn't snuggled into my side anymore like how we fell asleep. Instead, she was sitting on the edge of the bed with her face buried in her hands. The rain outside was falling harder than ever.

She was trying to cry as silently as possible, trying not to wake me up, no doubt. Still, her shoulders shuddered from her sobs and her heavy breathing gasped and sputtered.

"Juvia, what's wrong?" I sat up quickly, alarmed at her distress. "Did I cross the line?" I tried to think of what might have gone wrong. She kissed me, I kissed her back, and then I pulled away before I got too carried away. I lulled her to sleep with a story from my past and then fell asleep myself. Unless I said or did something in my sleep, I couldn't remember anything that might've made her more upset.

"No, the whole night was wonderful" she sobbed even louder and more messily. The rain outside pounded harder on the roof and drowned out her sounds.

"Then what is it?" I sat next to her and held her close to my side.

"How can Juvia move on from Gray-sama after such a wonderful night? This makes it so much harder for Juvia" She wailed dramatically and bursts into even more tears. It was difficult to imagine her shedding more tears, but evidently, she was an endless source of them.

I didn't know whether to laugh at her dramatic tears or become upset along with her.

"You don't have to forget, Juvia. You can stay with me and fall asleep like that every night"

"And get Juvia's feelings hurt again? Juvia doesn't think she can do that, Juvia… Juvia knows she deserves more than that. Juvia will always hold Gray-sama close to her heart, but Juvia can't hold onto someone who doesn't want to be held by her"

My heart tightened in my chest again, just like when she said yes to Lyon and I found out he kissed her. This kind of pain was always caused by her, but I didn't blame her. I blamed myself. Of course she was tired from pursuing me, she couldn't go on forever without any fuel to go off of. She had poured so much into me that even her patience and faith in me had faltered.

I couldn't imagine chasing after someone for years and years only to be met with zero progress. Sometimes, it wasn't even a lack of progress, but a step backwards. she must be so tired.

"I can't promise that I won't mess up and accidentally hurt your feelings again. Of course we'll fight and annoy each other." She started crying harder again, focusing on all the bad things that I was saying. Well, I was only saying bad things, wasn't I?

"Bu-but that's what comes with a relationship, right?" I rushed out the words. Her sobs dwindled down into sniffles and she finally takes her face out of her hands to look up at me. Her eyes were puffy and red, implying she had been crying for a long time before I discovered her awake and in that state.

"A relationship?" She croaked, her voice hoarse from the crying.

"Yeah, I want you to be mine, Juvia. Not just for a single night. I want a whole lifetime with you. I've been wanting to spend every moment with you, I just couldn't bring myself to say the words then. But I'm done with that now, I promise. I'll be open with you, ok? No more lies, no more hiding, no more holding back. I'll give you everything you deserve, so don't go with Lyon, please."

She bites her lip in intense thought.

"Lyon-san is devoted to Juvia just as much as Juvia is devoted to Gray-sama. Juvia cannot bear to ask him to move one when Juvia knows how difficult it is. How can she do that to him?"

That was true. Lyon fell in love with her the moment he laid eyes on her, just as she did with me. I'd be an even bigger idiot than I have been the past few days to not realize his commitment to her. It was true, it would not be fair to him to do someone so impossible. But I was in the same boat as him.

"I don't really have an answer for that. But I am going to be honest and say this. I am going to be selfish with you. I am going to be greedy for you and jealous for you. So I will be devoted to you just as much as you are to me. I will surpass Lyon and take away your worries, if you'll give me the chance."

There was a pregnant pause after my speech. I held my breath in suspense, worried that I had not been successful in convincing her to choose me. I was horrified at the thought that I had truly lost her and that Erza had told me too late.

"Juvia would be a fool to give up a lifetime with you, Gray-sama"

Relief flooded over me and it poured out of me visibly. I could tell because Juvia mirrored my feelings exactly. We stared at each other with grins that started to make our cheeks cramp. She squealed as I took her in a bone crushing hug and fell backward onto my bed. I didn't dare let go of her now that she returned back to me.

"You do realize that this means you come home with me every night, right?"

"I'm always home with you, Gray-sama"

Then we both leaned in for our second kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

We both knew that there would be a lot of questions from people back at the guild. It was a surprise that no one came barging in after us, but it was extremely appreciated that they would let us have time alone. In fact, I don't think either one of us really wanted to go back for another day, especially when cuddling with her was like heaven. But we knew we would have to face them sooner or later and it seemed like it would be a good idea to dispel their worries right away.

We walked up to the guild we called home and stared at the door for some time. I felt Juvia's hand tighten in the hold on my right hand and when I looked at her, she had a clear expression of worry on her face. I smiled encouragingly at her and stepped forward towards the door. She walked slightly ahead of me to let our guildmates see her first and to shield me from any of their rage.

Many of them did indeed have worried and angry looks on their faces.

The hardest part was facing Lyon, of course.

He was sitting at the table closest to the doors of the guild and stood up immediately when we entered. He had his hands clenched into fists, ready to resort to physical violence after hearing about how I dragged Juvia away and brought the rain. It wasn't even about defeating each other through our ice make magic, it was about the anger and the fight.

"Gray, you bas-"

"Lyon-san, no!" Juvia reached out to place her hands on his fist that was coming straight for my face.

"Juvia, if he's not mature enough to either accept your feelings or let you go, then I'm going to pound that lesson into him" He didn't try to pull away from her or get closer to me since her presence alone made him reflect on his decisions.

"Gray-sama did accept Juvia's feelings. Juvia is so sorry, Lyon-san" she blurted it out swiftly and bowed her head in apology with her eyes watering. She didn't beat around the bush or try to coddle him in any way, she simply told him the truth.

"I see…" Lyon's hands clenched again, but for a different reason this time. It wasn't out of anger towards me, but of the pain in his heart.

"Juvia knows it would be unfair to Lyon-san to ask him to be friends, Juvia knows that better than anyone. She does not expect him to be happy for her right away, but maybe, with time...Lyon-san could accept Juvia's feelings for Gray-sama as well." Juvia clasped her hands at her breast, holding this wish dear to her heart.

"Juvia cares about Lyon-san very much and Juvia hopes he can find someone to be as devoted to him as he is"

"... Can you tell me once and for all that it won't be me?" He asked weakly.

"Juvia's heart belongs to Gray-sama and it always will" She said with an assurance that made my heart swell with pride, that woman was mine and I had also devoted myself to her. With that, I stepped closer to her and took her hand with encouragement. I knew it must be hard to let someone down. Still, I'm careful not to flaunt our new relationship in his face. I'm not that cold.

"Thank you for indulging me on our date. I'm sorry if I caused you any discomfort" He slightly bowed in the same fashion she did earlier to apologize for stepping over her comfort zone.

"Oh no, Juvia had a wond-" She rushed to try to make him feel better, but he wouldn't have any of it.

"Please, Juvia. Don't try to give me words of comfort or encouragement. I know that you wished for me to be Gray." His eyes flitted over to me while Juvia hung her head down in shame. "I also wish for a close relationship with you. I will always love you Juvia, but if it is not to be so, then please give me some time before I can approach you again. Do you understand?" She nodded in understanding and frowned at the weight of his words.

He nodded curtly at me that anyone would interpret as a good bye, but all I could see was a stern look of _don't screw this up with her_ and then turned around with a heavy inhale. He leaves the guild, a little dejectedly, but with the same confidence he has always had.

When he was gone, I could tell she needed a moment before she could return to reality and fully be happy so I gently kissed her cheek and stepped away from her. Then we realized that the rest of the guild had been watching the scene with enrapture and erupted in cheers when I kissed her.

"This calls for a drink!" Cana yelled and guzzled down another barrel of alcohol

"Like a man!"

"Would you stop your nonsense of being a man?"

"Oi, stripper! It's time you got to your senses! You ice ba-"

"Gajeel!" Levy scolded him

"Juvia deserves better than him" he muttered back, slightly ashamed he offended Levy

"Why is everyone cheering for ice princess?"

"I believe it's because Gray finally kissed Juvia" Mira giggled cutely

"Yeah, but we all knew it would happen. He just finally got some sense into him. Everyone's gonna go crazy Just because of that? I can do it too! Kiss me, Lucy!"

"Get off of me!" She kicked Natsu square in the face

"Lushee~ Carla won't accept my fish" Happy wailed

"This is so wonderful, isn't it, Carla?" Wendy asked for affirmation

"I suppose. Everyone here gets riled up so easily" She upturned her nose

As everyone tried to get a moment with either me or Juvia, one person stood next to the proud master of the guild with her strawberry cake. I happened to catch her eye and see her nod in wholehearted approval. I smiled back with wholehearted gratitude towards her for telling me the brutal truth and helping me see the light. I looked past the heads of my friends and at Juvia, who was being grilled with questions from her own giddy friends. She already looked flustered when she met eyes with me and it deepened when she blushed at the realization that I was gazing intensely at her. Not the accidental meeting of gazes that she over analyzed before. No, it was a look with purpose and intention.

I could definitely get used to a lifetime with her.


	11. Chapter 11

"Daddy? Daddy daddy daddy daddy daddy daddy-"

"Yes? What is it Ur?" I groaned and rubbed my eyes open from my peaceful sleep to see my 3 year old daughter Azure, Ur for short, sitting on my stomach and poking my cheek with every 'daddy' coming out of her little mouth. Her blue hair fell in waves at her shoulders and her blue eyes stared at me with exasperation.

"You gotta get up!" She exclaimed excitedly. It wasn't a particularly special day, but that's just who she was- an enthusiastic girl who appreciated the joys of every day. Today was a sunny, summer morning that reached its fingers of light through the large window to the left of the bed and splashed out on the covers of the bed. It was a wonder that I didn't wake up from the heat, but I guess I had just gotten too used to having Ur wake me up.

I propped up my pillow to support my back and struggled to sit up without making Ur topple over. She giggled as I groaned some more while stretching, failing to match her energy so early in the morning.

"Good morning, Ur-chan" I said sleepily while simultaneously yawning. She closed her eyes happily when I kissed the top of her head and swooped her up in my arms to carry her out to the kitchen where I knew Juvia and Silver would be.

Sure enough, Juvia was setting the table with 9 month old Silver in his high chair when I entered the kitchen. Silver was much more quiet compared to Ur, but he took a liking to Gajeel so he was bound to be strong in action and in resolve as he grew older. In fact, he was in complete concentration of his task at hand, eating without Juvia's help.

"Hey, bud" I ruffled Silver's hair and startled him a bit. He seemed to be annoyed that I bothered him during his mission, but he broke out into a grin when he realized it was just me. His unruly black hair was slightly matted down with sweat from his sleep and his blue eyes focused back onto his food. I set Ur down in her seat for her to eat her breakfast before walking over to Juvia across the table.

"Good morning, Gray-sama" Juvia chirped happily in her seat. We all knew where Ur got her cheerfulness from.

"Good morning" I gave her a quick peck, which she met with eager affection, and took my seat right next to her. It was a habit, but not one taken for granted. Never again.

"Eat faster, daddy! I want to go to the guild and play with Nashi!" Ur said between shoveling down food.

"I can't believe she's best friends with flame brain's daughter" I muttered sadly to Juvia. Nashi was a sweet girl a year older than Ur who looked just like Lucy apart from her pink hair. It was just a shame she was related to that idiot. She just shook her head in amusement and paid no mind.

"Nashi will be staying for us tonight since Uncle Natsu and Aunt Lucy have a mission, remember? You'll have plenty of time to play with her. So slow down and chew all your food, Ur-chan"

"Okay, mommy" her pace noticeably slowed and stopped altogether to ask her question "When will Nashi be a big sister like me?"

"Well, the baby will be here around your birthday, Ur-chan. You just have to wait 4 months"

Natsu treasured Nashi just like a dragon would protect his offspring and didn't give a second thought to having another child until Silver was born and he found out Gajeel and Levy were having twins. He was so furious to think we had more children than him, he asked Lucy to have another in the same hospital room where they first held him. It took a couple of months to get her to stop punching him every time he brought up the topic, but once he convinced her that it was more than mere competition, she was ecstatic that he wanted another.

Now that she was pregnant again, they couldn't take their intense, week long missions anymore, but Lucy still wanted to work and everyone knew Natsu wouldn't let anything happen to her. So they would occasionally take up jobs like today's to save up the extra jewels and keep busy.

As for Gajeel and Levy's 3 month twins, they certainly were a handful. Ryos was the exact copy of Gajeel in looks and personality as far as we could tell. Gale, who had Levy's blue hair and brown eyes, was more gentle and easy going. No matter how difficult it got with two boys, everyone knew they loved it. Especially since the scare with their birth, everyone was glad to see the healthy family. Levy was a small girl and carrying twins of a dragon slayer was difficult on her body.

Erza and Jellal had a 9 year old son named Simon with blue hair and the same quiet, but incredibly strong, demeanor as both of his parents. He was very mature for his age. Jellal still hadn't been able to settle down, but it was hard to ever doubt Titania and everyone knew to keep it pretty low key when he was able to visit his family at our guild.

Master stepped down and allowed Laxus to take over the guild. Since he took over, not much has changed aside from the fact that Freed was worshiping him harder than ever and the Master was constantly trying to take the girls to the beach.

Elfman and Evergreen had two daughters who had somehow came to coin the term man fairies as their thing. At first, it was frustrating to both their parents, but they came to accept this as a compromise and it never got in the way of loving both of them immensely.

All the people of Fairy Tail had come to find their happy endings and were creating new stories.

Lyon ended up mentoring kids in magic as Ur had once taught us. He never did settle, he truly loved Juvia and never found another. But he was happy for her and for our family, visiting us occasionally and spoiling the kids rotten. He found fulfillment in teaching those kids and passing on Ur's legacy.

"Alright, I can do the dishes if you wanted to give Silver a quick bath, Juvia" I offered my proposal while standing up with the dirty dishes.

"That's a wonderful idea" The hearts in her eyes were still visible after all these years, making me chuckle. She picked up Silver and carried him to the bathroom to the get the water running. She loved bath time just as much as they did because of all the tricks she'd show them.

"I'll get them done faster if you help me dry, Ur. Once we're all done, we can go to the guild, ok?" She nodded in excitement to see her best friend and scrambled over to the sink. I could feel that cheek cramping grin sneak up on me again.

This definitely wasn't the kind of life I envisioned as a child. I thought it would be all adventure and action. It was all about living in the moment, using that single chance for all the adrenaline and the rush.

But now that I was committed for the long run, I couldn't imagine it any other way.


End file.
